Press release from the Indiana State Police:
Fort Wayne Man with $700 in Stolen Alcohol Apprehended by State Troopers and K-9
(January 28, 2010) A Fort Wayne man was arrested Wednesday night after he allegedly stole approximately $700 worth of alcoholic beverages from a local Kroger grocery store. The problem was that not only did he not pay for the beverages, but that the Kroger store was across the street from the Fort Wayne Post of the Indiana State Police and there also happened to be an off-duty trooper, in his marked police car, in the Kroger’s lot as the suspect drove away.
According to Senior Trooper Brad Shultz, at approximately 7:00 pm, 38 year old Archie Bernard Smothers from Fort Wayne entered the Kroger grocery story in the 8800 block of West Jefferson and allegedly left with approximately $700 worth of alcoholic beverages that he did not pay for. A store employee flagged down off-duty Master Trooper Don Stoffel to inform him of what had just occurred. At that moment, Sergeant Mike Yordy was just leaving the Post and observed the suspect’s vehicle, a red 1990 Chevrolet pickup truck, traveling southbound on Yohne Road.
As Yordy activated his emergency lights and siren and attempted to catch up to the vehicle, the driver turned off the vehicle’s lights and pulled off the side of the road where he got out and ran on foot. Smothers then took control of the pickup and led police on a chase that ended in the area of Hoagland Road and Oakdale where he fled on foot. Shultz, his K-9 partner Gunnar, Yordy and officers from both the Fort Wayne Police and Allen County Sheriff Departments searched for, and at approximately 7:30 pm, located and took Smothers into custody. The original driver of the pickup was later located, but not charged at the time as he turned into a witness against Smothers, who was incarcerated in the Allen County Lockup. The stolen alcohol was located and recovered.
ARRESTED AND CHARGED:
Archie Bernard Smothers, 38, 3524 Reynolds Street, Fort Wayne, IN
- Theft, Class D Felony
- Resisting Law Enforcement with a Vehicle, Class D Felony
- Driving While Suspended (Prior), Class D Felony
- Criminal Recklessness with a Vehicle, Class A Misdemeanor
- Leaving the Scene of an Accident, Class A Misdemeanor
Related Images:
